


Not the Way We Lived

by BraveInvisibleWorld



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Angst, Crimson Flower Route, F/F, Friends to Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, rhea die challenge, they're getting their lifelong journey just in a painful way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2020-09-27 05:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20402209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraveInvisibleWorld/pseuds/BraveInvisibleWorld
Summary: It is said that Shamir disappeared after the war, never to be seen again. However, what persisted over the years were rumors that a master archer turned thief had emerged in a faraway land, accompanied by a skilled swordswoman...(Alternatively, what happens when Catherine must live her own life without Rhea).





	1. Chapter 1

She was so sure she was in hell. There was nothing but flashes of crimson and scorching heat all around her no matter where she looked. Everything was in ashes. The shriek of a beast rang in her ears as she felt the flames creep closer, threatening to seep into all the way into her flesh and consume her body. She tried to force herself up, but only to crash back into the ground as blood dribbled from her mouth.  _ Live, damn it, _ she thought to herself,  _ You have to live to protect her. Otherwise... _ She could barely move anymore; her injuries were so severe that it was certain she would die in this nightmare alone. Yet she knew that this place was a miserable sight of her own creation. That she set this city ablaze and left its inhabitants to flee or perish. That she let this suffering happen to save a single person.

She felt pathetic in that moment. Her pride as a knight meant absolutely nothing as she knew in her heart that she would never be the one to save her lady.  _ If she is truly dead, then there is no point for me to stay here.  _ The flames looked more enticing than ever. Her eyes shut as she prepared to draw out her last breath…

Only to snap awake to see Lady Rhea cradling her body. Her face was so dirty with soot. A gash on her forehead had left blood streaking across the side of her face. Tears formed in her eyes as she held her knight’s head. “Catherine…” She squeezed her hand. “Catherine, please don’t go.”

Catherine didn’t know how to respond. Lady Rhea was gone, wasn’t she? Even before this battle, her lady must have vanished at some point. Catherine didn’t want to admit it, but she knew that deep down, Rhea simply wasn’t herself anymore. It hurt her to see a vision like this. She didn’t deserve it, not after what has occurred. She stared blankly at what surely is just a fragment of a dream. Her hand gave the tiniest squeeze back as she tried to remain awake for as long as this wonderful illusion would stay.

“She’s still alive!” Rhea cried. “Please, please help her,” she begged into the chaos. Catherine didn’t pay it any mind. It wasn’t like anyone was going to listen to them. But still, it did hurt to see her so sad. “I’m sorry, Catherine…”

Catherine felt numb all over as she tried to answer her lady back. “Don’t be… sorry.” She slowed her breathing. “Don’t waste your time… on me.” She closed her eyes once again. 

It was then that Catherine lost herself to the flames.

***

Or so she thought. She was lying awake in some kind of ward. She felt stiff as her wounds were catching up to her mind.  _ Where am I? _ she wondered. She sat up carefully. Her hand felt warm, and so she looked over and saw another hand clasped over it. Shamir’s hand.

If her body didn't hurt so badly, she would have jerked her arm so far back it would have popped right out of the socket. What this traitor was doing near her, she had no idea. Something flared in her heart, only to be snuffed out as she saw Shamir’s own wounds. Several burn marks were over her arms. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages. She looked like she should be resting in a proper bed. Yet she was at Catherine’s side and fast asleep. Why was she here? She was beginning to stir.

Shamir blinked out of her drowsiness as she realized that Catherine was awake. “Catherine.”

“Shamir,” the knight said indifferently.

“Are you…” Shamir knew she wasn’t fine at all.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She tried to get out of the bed, only for Shamir to push her back down.

“Don’t move. You’re only going to reopen those wounds.”

“Why would you care? We tried to kill each other.”

“I didn’t want to kill you.”

“Still tried.” The room went silent after that. Catherine turned her head so that she wouldn’t have her ex-partner in her sight. Shamir’s steely expression cracked. Catherine tried to think about anything but the battle. She could still hear the cries of the Immaculate One. She could still see Cyril falling from his wyvern as he was riddled with arrows. She could still smell the nauseating and sweet scent of bodies burning. Her hands were shaky as her mind kept repeating the sensations over and over.

“Hey.” Shamir put her hand on Catherine’s forehead. “You’re burning up.” This wasn’t the Shamir she knew. Sure, she was still blunt and straightforward in her usual way, but this Shamir was more outward with her concern. In their four years of partnership, never had Catherine seen her so… caring. It annoyed her, in fact.

Catherine narrowed her eyes at her. “Just leave me alone, Shamir.”

Shamir drew her hand back and sighed. “I’m afraid I cannot.” She looked toward the ward’s door. “The Empress let you in here only because I had asked her.”

“Edelgard?” Her eyes widened. “I’m in her custody?” Shamir lowered her eyes. Why was Catherine even spared? One way or another she was going to die for her crimes. She wished now that she had burnt up with her liege. With the people she senselessly sacrificed. Her body shivered at the thought of being executed by the axe of that menace of a woman.

“Catherine, calm down.”

“You—!” She couldn’t form any coherent thoughts. It was all too humiliating to take in. Trapped in a corner by a traitor and the murderer of the Archbishop. “Why?! Lady Rhea saved your life, and this is how you repay her!”

“I repaid my debt five years ago,” Shamir snapped. “I’m not nearly as devoted to Rhea as you, and I don’t fight for the same beliefs. But I don’t want to let my partner die, even if we’re on opposite sides.”

Catherine made a face when Shamir said that damned word. “You should have left me behind like you did five years ago,  _ partner _ .” She felt like the ground was ripped out from under feet, taking her right back to the hell she belonged in.

A knock sounded at the door. “May I come in?” The tension lifted in Shamir’s shoulders as she went to greet the visitor. Catherine’s expression darkened further at the sight of the Empress walking into the room.

“I see that you’ve regained consciousness.” Her white hair was undone and flowed over her shoulders. Her outfit was a simple red shirt and black trousers. She looked composed and serene, much like her younger self during her school days, but Catherine felt even more unnerved than when she wore armor. “It didn’t look like you were going to make it. It’s been two days since then.”

Catherine let out a bitter laugh. “How nice of you to pay me a visit.”

Edelgard shrugged off the comment. “I didn’t bring you any flowers, but I have retrieved this.” She took out a sheathed sword. It wasn’t just any sword; it was the Thunderbrand.

Catherine remained silent.

“Now, I do not wish for anymore unnecessary deaths, but punishment must be dealt with,” Edelgard said as she gave a brief glance to Shamir. “Starting today, Catherine, you will be stripped of your rank and exiled. In addition, the Thunderbrand will be destroyed along with the other Relics.” Was she expecting to crush her spirit? She could care less about the sword. There was no one to protect anymore. The Church of Seiros was gone. Her brothers and sisters in arms were either dead or being subjugated. Returning to her homeland was out of the question for years now.

“It is a shame,” Edelgard continued, “Had you been able to see her true nature, perhaps none of this would happen. Or… maybe you did know all along.” The fallen knight gazed off in another direction. The Empress sighed. “I won’t probe any further. You best be on your way soon.”

“To where, exactly?” Catherine mumbled.

“To Dagda.”

Catherine felt her stomach flip. Here she was, a knight turned criminal once again. This time across the ocean and without any guidance from the goddess. To live in a world without Her or Lady Rhea was too much to bear.

“As for you, Shamir Nevrand,” Edelgard turned to the other woman. “You are hereby relieved of your duty to the Imperial Army.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” The mercenary bowed her head. “It was an honor to be in your service.” 

“It was a pleasure to have you, Shamir. Please stay safe on your travels. Both of you.” And with that, she left.

Catherine lied back down. “Both of us? What did she mean by that?”

“I’m free to roam as I please. So I’ve decided…”

“Decided what?”

“I want to accompany you.”

If Catherine could move her arms the way she wanted to, her pillow would be planted in Shamir's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once it's not crack! I'm still inexperienced in fic writing, so this will have sporadic updates. There's not enough Cathmir anywhere so I'm fixing it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catherine gets a family reunion.

_ Catherine has not been herself _, Shamir observed. Something about the glare Catherine had given her shortly before passing out again seem so… subdued. Now that Shamir was up close, she saw the spark of life gone from Catherine’s eyes, and it hurt her to see the once energetic swordmaster so cold. So much that Shamir almost wished that they were enemies from afar once again.

But it wasn’t the time for brooding. Shamir was anxious to leave Fhirdiad soon, and for more reasons the two of them could expect.

***

In a few days, they were on their way to Garreg Mach, completing their trip to the harbor in the Empire in about a week or two. After that, they would sail to Brighid and reach Dagda from there.

“We’re passing through your family’s territory.” Shamir was met with silence. She stretched her arms in her new jacket; her old one had nearly burnt to a crisp. Again, she tried to rouse Catherine’s attention. “Do you want to see them? Her Majesty did say you’re allowed to.” 

Catherine met Shamir’s gaze and then cast her eyes downward. “Cassandra’s business was done a long time ago. I don’t have any obligation to visit.” That was the first time she had said anything to Shamir over the past few days. She looked well at a glance with her fresh set of clothes and hair neatly tied back, although she lacked her usual chestplate and pauldrons. Most of her scars were covered except for the small one that appeared on the ridge of her right eyebrow, but thankfully her face did not suffer any major burns. The dark circles under her eyes were what gave away her moodiness.

“Alright, then,” Shamir resigned, gingerly touching the cut on her forehead. Catherine had not resisted Shamir’s offer of companionship aside from when Shamir first proposed it, yet the knight was still intent on keeping a distance between them. She was a puzzle to the merc; without Rhea to give orders, it was difficult to predict what Catherine was going to do now. In fact, she was far more dangerous, even without the Thunderbrand.

Surprisingly, Catherine was willing to talk more. “What’s your business in your homeland anyway?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Shamir replied. “I figured I’d just start living how I want to.”

“By following me?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you?” Catherine shook her head. “The war is done. I’m now a criminal in the eyes of the Empire, a knight of the corrupt church. You, on the other hand, are one of their heroes. Why are you giving up that life for someone like me?”

“Because you’re… my partner,” was her tentative answer. Quick as a bolt of lightning, Catherine seized her by the collar of her jacket. 

“Don’t screw with me, _ partner _,” she growled. “Are you here to get a kick out of me? Or do you just pity me as a failure of a knight?”

Shamir struggled to get her off. “It’s nothing like that. I just… I’m worried about you.”

Catherine let out an exasperated noise. “Worried—?” The carriage came to a sudden halt.

"Shit." Shamir had seen the cause of the interruption: Adrestian soldiers lined up along the road.

Catherine released Shamir from her grasp. "Who's that dastard over there?" In the middle of the path was a knight in bulky armor, a rather plain middle-aged man.

"Not trouble if we're lucky," the mercenary answered as she gently pushed the other woman away and headed for the door, slipping a dagger in her boot. "Lay low for a bit, Catherine." The knight instinctively reached for her sword, only to remember she lacked one and muttered a few choice words.

"Make sure no one is trailing us," Shamir warned the driver. The young man gave her a nod. Turning her attention back to the road, Shamir took notice of the surroundings. The air felt dense, and behind the trees on either side of her were the outlines of more soldiers. _ Mages, by the looks of them _ , she analyzed. She took note of a strange smell, one that was distinctly sour, and she recognized it from all the times she had seen Count Vestra in battle. _ Dark mages _, she corrected.

As the knight waited for her to approach, he asked, "Are you Shamir Nevrand?" She nodded, wondering if he had seen her before. "Oh, thank goodness. We could use back-up."

"What’s the matter here?"

"Lord Arundel has ordered the arrest of the Charon family."

Shamir ignored the shiver that ran down her spine. "Lord Arundel? Her Majesty ordered his troops to return to the capital weeks ago."

“We were on our way, but the nobility around this area are still fighting the Empire’s occupation. Lord Arundel has ordered us to help the troops here and force Lord Charon to surrender. We took their estate, but most of the family escaped. Last we heard, Lord Charon and some of his children were in the town, but the commoners are hostile toward us.”

“Are you certain that they’re not hiding out in the woods?”

“No. The forest is much too dangerous nowadays. We’re in a, uh, tricky situation there as well. There’s been some trouble with monsters, and most of our troops are preoccupied with that. We were _ supposed _to use them to our advantage but… You would recall something similar happening before.”

Shamir froze. He definitely had seen her before. And considering the last time she encountered this group, it didn’t exactly go well. “So, you want me to find Lord Charon while you try to cover up your mess?”

He gave a coy smile. “You catch on pretty quick, Miss Nevrand. You help us, and we’ll let you pass as if nothing happened. We’ll be out of here without any issues as well.”

“Fine, but no promises that I will be able to capture him,” she replied as she walked back to the carriage.

“What did he want?” Catherine demanded as soon as Shamir entered. 

“He asked for my help in apprehending Lord Charon. The family is hiding out somewhere.” She put a hand on her chin as she relayed the details in her mind.

Catherine noticed her deep in thought. “There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?”

“Whoever that captain is, he’s not a knight. I can detect faint traces of magic coming off of him. And several dark mages were out in the woods.”

“Why would he bother with a disguise like that?”

“He’s part of Arundel’s forces. They’re a tricky group that hides their experiments, and I believe your family might be involved somehow.” Shamir winced remembering the few things that she had learned about Edelgard’s uncle and his followers. She noticed Catherine’s mood had dropped. “We can find them, I—”

“Don’t even start.”

“Catherine, your father might be in danger.”

“I haven’t seen him in person for almost a decade. Father can take care of himself,” she grumbled.

“Catherine…”

“He doesn’t need me, and I don’t need him. That’s how it’s been ever since I joined the Knights.” She turned her face to the window.

They rode in silence once again until they reached the town by late afternoon.

***

Catherine wished that she could rest, but so many thoughts had kept her up. Namely, her family. It didn’t surprise her that they had resisted the Empire; the Charons were one of the most renowned families in Faerghus after all. Her father was a stubborn man that put pride before reason. He did anything to preserve the good name of the family, especially when Catherine was branded an outlaw all that time ago. Of course, her name was cleared, but she rejected the notion of coming back to serve as the heir of the house. Still, she thought about her siblings and wondered if they were even alive.

She kicked at the weeds growing between the cracks in the plaza. “Damn it,” she muttered. The whole town was drab in comparison to her memories of the place. Usually, the crowds were so bright and colorful with laughing kids and adults adorned with the wildflowers that bloom every spring. Such a happy scene was a far cry from the hushed whispers of children and men armed with steel and icy glares. It didn’t help that the darkening clouds above were only getting heavier.

Shamir was busy getting their room taken care of and left Catherine to wander around. _ I could run away now _, the knight considered, but her body refused. It frustrated her how she felt so conflicted about Shamir. She was her partner, but naturally that fell apart when she decided to help that traitorous professor fight Lady Rhea. That kind of ungratefulness angered her to the core, yet she couldn’t find it in her to refuse Shamir’s presence back into her life. Maybe a part of her missed her. Or wanted to strangle her. Catherine didn’t want to know which was the answer. 

She passed by an alleyway when a familiar voice broke her train of thought. “Cass…” She peered in between the buildings, but it was so dark that she could barely see whatever was hiding there. A hand reached out for her shoulder. She jumped back. “Cassandra?”

Catherine blinked. “Who are you?”

Stepping out of the shadows was a young man with bright blue eyes and hair dark as charcoal. He looked very familiar to Catherine, but she couldn’t place why. He smiled and cried, “Sister!” And suddenly, she was pulled into a tight hug.

Catherine pondered for a moment and guessed, “Nathaniel?”

He let go of her. “You recognize me? And to think I thought I got manlier!” Her brother straightened up quickly. Despite being around the same age Catherine was when she went to the academy, his voice still squeaked, and he was just a few centimeters shorter than her. A plain steel sword hung at his hip, and he was also carrying a quiver on his back.

“Of course I do. Your hair is still a rat’s nest,” she chuckled as she roughed up his messy hair. Her smile quickly faded. “Is anyone else here in town?”

“Just Father and Rebecca.”

“Do you know where our other siblings are?”

“No, but they were here.”

“Who?”

“Reim and Jonah; they haven’t come back from trying to rescue Alissa.”

Catherine’s hand curled into a fist. “Did anyone go after them?” 

“Rebecca and I wanted to, but Father won’t allow us to go outside the town.”

“Why won’t he?”

“He thinks we’re wasting our time on trying to get Alissa back. Let’s go inside.” He motioned her to follow him into a nearby pub. The windows were boarded up, and the customers went quiet as they noticed Catherine. They stopped at a table where an old man and a young woman were sitting, and the lady’s face lit up at the sight of Catherine. She realized that they were her father and younger sister. Catherine exchanged a glance with her father as she sat down, his steely expression unchanging.

Rebecca reached out to trace the scar on Catherine's face. “Sister… You’ve come back.” She was a priestess in dirtied, worn robes but she held herself with grace. Her hair was a pale brown color, nearly as light as Catherine's hair. She pulled Catherine's sleeve up and started to fuss as she examined her sister's injuries. "What happened to you, Cassandra? We were told that Fhirdiad had gone up in flames, and all of the Knights of Seiros were there..."

Catherine resisted yanking her arm away when she felt healing magic touch her burn and simply answered, "I survived." She shifted her arm. "What happened after those soldiers arrived?"

Lord Charon recounted, "We were driven out of the estate, but we managed to fortify the town. But in the process, the youngest child, Alissa, was kidnapped, and the eldest brothers went off to rescue her. They didn’t return, and neither did their battalions. I warned them not to do such a dangerous mission, and now we’re short on men. Now, we are waiting on for the beasts and the Empire to weaken each other before striking.”

Nathaniel beamed. “But now that you’re here, Sis, we can defeat both of them at once with the Thunderbrand!”

“I had it taken away from me in Fhirdiad,” Catherine explained. Nathaniel’s smile sank.

Her father’s face was grim. “No, no… You lost the most valuable possession of House Charon?”

“Sorry about that.”

He ran his fingers through his gray hair. “You’ve abandoned your duty here as a major Crest-bearer, and all you have is an apology? You hardly sent letters, and then you come back admitting that you gave up our very pride?” There’s the father she knew.

“I failed to protect what mattered the most. That sword doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Cassandra, we still have a fight to finish with the Empire here! You are its only wielder!”

“This isn’t my fight. That was clear when I became a fugitive.”

“May the goddess not hear that! Our family’s name is falling apart, and you have no drive to defend it!”

“You care more about reputation than anything! If you want to keep the family together, maybe you should try to save your sons and your daughter!” _ And maybe you should have tried to save me back then, _ she bitterly thought.

His fist slammed the table. “If you want to follow your foolish brothers, go right on ahead! This isn’t the first time you’ve run into your doom.“

“I will!” Her face hardened as she recalled vague images of claws and blood flashing through her mind. “I don’t need a damn Relic or Crest to save her.”

Nathaniel felt unnerved by his sister’s expression. “Sis?”

“Give me your sword, Nathaniel.”

“Sis, wait a second! You’re not thinking about storming the manor by yourself, are you? Those monsters are still there!” He let out a yelp as Catherine pulled on his arm and unhooked the scabbard from his belt. She started for the door.

Rebecca cried out, “Sister, wait!” 

“Cassandra, no matter what happens, your honor will always be stained!” Lord Charon yelled.

“I’m Catherine,” she said firmly. “I never had any honor in the first place.” And then she stormed out.

***

Shamir had returned to the plaza when she noticed Catherine approaching. “You’re back.” Catherine said nothing to her and dragged Shamir with her. “Catherine—?”

“Come on. We’re going to the manor.”

“Hold on, don’t get reckless.”

“My little sister could be suffering right now. We’re not wasting any time.” She tugged on Shamir’s arm harder as they followed the path to the town’s exit. Shamir didn’t say another word.

***

By the time they got close to the manor, it was nearly midnight. Dotted along the path were various weapons, many of which were snapped in two. Various body parts of animals were also strewn about, rotting and half-eaten. Several articles of torn clothing and armor were adorned with the Crest of Charon, but no human bodies were found.

Despite no other signs of people, Catherine knew without a doubt this was where Reim and Jonah had their last stand. But something else bothered her. “Where are the beasts?” the knight huffed. As if right on cue, a flash of light appeared somewhere in the forest, followed by a low rumbling sound.

“Those mages might be distracting them,” the sniper guessed. A rustle was heard behind them. With a flick of her wrist, Shamir planted a dagger precisely between the spy’s feet.

A scared young man sprang out of the trees with his hands held up high. “I’m not one of them!” he cried in alarm.

Catherine gasped. “Nathaniel? Why did you follow me?”

“I couldn’t help it! You ran off with my sword!” His knees were shaking hard. “I never fought a monster one-on-one, but knowing you were going to fight, I thought that maybe…”

Catherine narrowed her eyes. “Is Rebecca here?”

Shamir dragged the priestess from behind another tree. “This is her, I’m assuming.”

“Both of you…” Catherine rubbed her temple. “How did you even get past Father?”

“He doesn’t know that we have been sneaking out,” Rebecca replied. “We were lucky that we escaped from a monster once, but we’ve been trying to get near manor. Please, let us help, Sister.”

“Goddess, this entire family is reckless,” Catherine murmured. “Listen up. Both of you have to go after Alissa with her,” she said as she pointed to Shamir. “I’m going to kill those beasts.”

“Absolutely not,” Shamir rejected. “You’re still recovering. You’re not going in alone.”

“I’m not letting them get hurt on my watch. I can do this by myself.”

“I’ll stay with you, Sister,” Rebecca offered.

The knight shook her head. “You need to save Alissa. I don’t want you to get caught up in any of this. Your brothers are… gone.”

“I can take care of myself. It’s not just those monsters out there; I can help you defeat those mages!” She clasped her sister’s hands. “Please, Catherine. I don’t want to lose any more siblings.”

Catherine sighed. “Fine, then. But stay out of sight, Rebecca.”

“OK, then I’ll help your friend over here through the house,” Nathaniel pitched in.

Shamir nodded in approval. “Let’s go.” She disappeared into the trees as Nathaniel stumbled behind her.

***

As two archers carefully crept through the darkness, the young man inquired, “So… What’s your name?”

“Shamir.”

“Shamir? Well, nice to meet you, Shamir. Thank you for helping us.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.”

  
  
“You’ve done way more than anyone else these past few weeks. Hardly anyone wants to help us because we’re too young, and they would rather follow Father to their last breath.”

“A lot of people seem to have respect for him.”

“No kidding. He’ll never give up on his goal to protect the pride of Faerghus. Even if it costs him the lives of his own family.”

“You sound like this has happened before.”

“It has. When Cass— Catherine was accused of conspiring with the king’s murderers, Father didn’t try to protect her. He let her get driven out of the land and to Garreg Mach.”

“Ah.” Some of the rumors Shamir had heard about Catherine were beginning to make sense.

“Now Alissa’s been kidnapped, and he refuses to budge out of fear that he will be humiliated with another defeat.”

“Another one?”

“He was injured in a battle a few years ago, and his dominant hand can barely work. Since then, he’s been trying to train me in sword fighting since he assumed Catherine wouldn’t come back.” The young man looked so frustrated as he batted another branch out of his face. “Not that it’s been fruitful. Catherine’s the only one out of us with a major Crest. Alissa and I have a minor Crest; my other siblings don't have one.”

“No Crests, huh?” A sinking feeling settled in Shamir’s mind.

“Were you saying something?”

“It’s nothing.” She went silent as they arrived at the front gate. Two unsettling sets of footprints were leading all the way from the house into the forest. The lock on the gate was smashed apart, and so the duo breezed through the courtyard and split up to search the house. Shamir climbed into the second floor while Nathaniel entered into the first.

The inside of the house was in complete disarray. Most of the furniture was knocked over, with many decorations being either missing or broken into pieces. From what the assassin could tell with her sharp vision, no guard was posted on the second floor. Nathaniel also failed to find any inhabitants on his floor. Shamir jumped down to meet with the young man and then detected a faint sour smell wafting through the house. “It’s coming from below. Is there a basement here?”

“Yes, it’s over this way,” Nathaniel said as he guided the mercenary to the entrance.

Shamir pressed her ear against the door. “Someone’s down there. Get ready, boy.” Nathaniel cocked an eyebrow. She went over to knock on the door. 

“Who’s there?” a voice called out from the other side.

“It’s Nevrand. I have intel on Lord Charon. I have his son up here with me.”

Nathaniel’s eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean by that?” Shamir shot him a glare, and he went silent.

The door unlocked as a mage peeked his masked head out. “Finally, some progress! Thank you—” He was cut off as his throat was slit by a dagger.

Nathaniel averted his eyes as he put the pieces together. “You’re… Nevrand? As in Shamir Nevrand?” He had just realized that he did not ask for her last name. She nodded in response. “Oh, Goddess… You’ve...“

“Worked for the Empire?” She dragged the body off to the side.

“Well, yes, but that’s not what I recognize you from. You’re the same Shamir from Sis’s letters.” He wiped the sweat off of his brow. “For a second there, I really thought that you were going to turn me in!”

“I wasn’t.” She flicked the blood off of the blade. “But it is surprising that you trust me this much.”

“Well, from the way Catherine described you, you seem plenty trustworthy to me.”

“Did she now?”

“In her letters, she mentioned that you always had her back, although you aren’t really a talker.”

“Huh.”

“But that’s beside the point. I trust my sister’s word. Let’s go get my little sister out of here.”

“Of course.” 

Descending down the stairs, the duo were greeted by the sight of blood and strange symbols engraved on the walls. The lowly lit room was rather large but empty aside from a young girl chained up to the floor. Dried blood covered her arms and legs. Her hair was disheveled and a pure white color, save for some streaks of black.

Nathaniel cried, “Alissa!” He ran to her side and gently touched her face. She twitched and opened her eyes slightly.

“Brother?” She sucked in a breath. “Brother… I’m… sorry… I’m sorry...” Tears welled up in the corner of her dulled, blue eyes.

  
“It’s not your fault,” he said as he carefully picked her up. The sound of thunder boomed throughout the house, which caused him to nearly fumble. A ferocious roar matched the cry of the sky moments later.

Shamir stiffened. “That’s not good.” The group ran up the stairs and the sound of pounding rainfall could be heard. A flash of light illuminated the house, but unlike lightning, it seemed unnatural. “That can’t be far from here.”

Nathaniel wrapped Alissa in his cloak and settled her on his back. “You don’t think—?” Shamir bolted out of the house. “Wait, Shamir!” the boy yelled.

***

In the courtyard was a frightened Rebecca as she huddled behind a bush. She was already drenched in the pouring rain. A burn mark was on her face, and some yards away from her was the body of an Imperial mage. But what made her tremble still wasn’t the soldier’s body; it a different body.

Catherine kneeled over the corpse of a slain beast. Her wet bangs covered her face as she remained still. The steel sword was plunged deep into the guts of the monster, tinged in crimson. Blood seeped into her white shirt as she looked upwards. The sky briefly split apart with a crack of lightning, which revealed the knight’s hollow expression. Her body trembled as she let out a fit of laughter.

_ Catherine is not herself _, Shamir realized as Catherine rose over the body of her older brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled on the plot of this for so long oh my god, and I didn't even get to write the fight scene I wanted so. That's for next time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Charon family reunion continues, though not the way anyone wanted.

It was shortly after they had separated from their brother when Rebecca had made small talk. 

“That woman seemed nice. Are you two friends?”

“We were co-workers,” Catherine corrected. “Right now, it’s… complicated.”

“Oh, then she must be...”

“Don’t worry about her.” She needed to change the subject. “I haven’t heard from you in a while. You were studying medicine, right?”

“Yes, I was.” Rebecca lit up at the attempt to chat. “But after Father was injured, Nathaniel and I were needed to support him at home. I had to study black magic as well to defend our land.”

“Was Father preparing you to inherit?”

The girl wrung her hands. “Well, he tried to instruct Nathaniel as the inheritor, but I don’t think our brother was really fond of the idea. As for Alissa and me, Father had arrangements with other nobles, but those families turned down those offers during the war.” She breathed the tiniest sliver of relief at that fact, to which Catherine decided to pay no mind.

“Reim and Jonah were still serving the Kingdom army at the time?”

“Yes, but once they were informed that the Empire was finally closing in on our territory, they raced back home.”

“I see.” She scratched the back of her head. “Father must have been pissed that they broke off from the main army.”

“I thought he was going to be mad as well, but Father was more grateful when they came back to help us. But now that they’re gone, he’s gone back to being overprotective again.” Her voice seemed to get more strained as she went deep into thought.

Catherine quietly walked alongside her sister for the next few minutes. Finally, she sighed and said, “You look like you want to ask me something.”

Rebecca looked up at her. “Where were you over the past five years?”

“My duty was at my lady’s side,” was Catherine’s reply.

“You never even visited us when Lady Rhea was forced out of the monastery and passed through here.”

The knight diverted her eyes. “You were a child when I was… a fugitive. Even when my name was cleared, I couldn’t show my face.”

“But we did want you to come home.”

“It’s not that simple, Rebecca.” She shook her head. “My reputation as a knight over the years is… one that Father would not be proud of. Having me here would just make our relations with other territories worse. If anything, Father was trying to get me to come back with the Relic.”

“That’s…” She hesitated. “That’s not true; you aren’t a thief or a criminal. You’re our family.” Her hands reached for the knight’s wrists. “We all need you. You’re here now, Catherine.”

“Not that I planned to be. I hadn’t thought about our family for so long that I didn’t even know if you were still alive,” Catherine admitted. Her arms broke away from her sister’s touch, and they strode in silence again until Catherine felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “They’re here.” Just after that, they heard a blood-curdling scream as a boom set off.

As they got to the source of the trouble, the sisters took to cover. A short distance away was a quartet of dark mages frantically casting spells at a Demonic Beast as the ground was set aflame. The monster was much like the draconic Wild Beasts, but the armored half of its body was protected by thick, white scales that seemed to spark every so often, which made it glow even in the darkness. Usually this kind of wingless dragon had a Crest Stone embedded into its forehead, but there appeared to be none for this particular specimen.

Catherine felt a thump in her chest as the beast let out a mighty roar, swishing around its long tail to knock down a mage who stepped too close. Her hand twitched around the hilt of her sword. A firm shake on the shoulder snapped her out of the strange feeling. "Don’t rush, Sister," Rebecca warned. The monk stepped back to give herself a safe space to watch the swordmaster’s back.

The elder sibling scoffed. "Wasn't going to." She relaxed her fingers and studied the creature's movements. Its feet were blistering in the heat, but it wasted no time pouncing onto the toppled mage and sank its teeth into his body. The poor man dropped his javelin and flailed frantically as the dragon snapped its head around and threw the bloodied body into the trees. It let out another awful cry, causing an irritating buzz to go off in Catherine’s head.

Another one of Arundel’s soldiers casted Bolganone at the creature. This time, it was unbothered despite the sheer force of the flames. "Shit! The armor went up already!"

That was new. Catherine had never seen a Demonic Beast that healed its armor so quickly, but there it was, growling with little discomfort as the flames licked at its exposed skin. _ That armor has a magic immunity. _ She cursed out the mages in her head as she realized that they were mere fodder with their weak weapons.

As if it was sniffing out her thoughts, the draconic beast suddenly turned around and charged right at Catherine’s hiding spot.

_ Shit _. She rolled away, claws slicing into her side. 

Alarmed at the new enemy in their midst, one Imperial shouted, “Who is this?!”

“Is that so important?” she yelled back as she deflected a swipe for her torso. Her blade glowed molten-red around the edges as she channeled the Bane of Monsters art. The metal cut through the thick scales of the beast’s front leg with a hiss.

Another angry mage intervened, “A civilian like you has no place in these affairs!” A dark cloud of purple energy formed in the palm of his hand as he took aim at the intruder, only for a burst of lightning to strike his arm. He yelped, “Another one?!”

Rebecca dived into the cover of the dark forest as the mage failed to hit her back. “From the left!” the priestess warned as the monster swung its tail at the knight.

Catherine gave a swift kick to the appendage as the dragon let out a frustrated growl. _ It’s fast!_ With another stroke, she split the plating between its eyes, opening a small hole in its defense. She glared back at the monster and held eye contact as it took some paces back. For a moment, she felt herself waver in those glassy, sulfuric eyes. She swore she recognized that serious expression from somewhere… Pain sapped at her side as crimson leaked out from her cuts and blossomed onto her shirt.

The scent of blood drifted into the monster’s nostrils, and the beast’s pupils dilated as slobbering jaws lunged forward. In return, Rebecca nailed a Thoron right on the weak spot between its eyes. Had the Crest Stone been lodged in its usual spot, the blast could have been lethal, but it only stunned the creature for a few precious seconds. Catherine then attacked its weakened leg again. This time, the molten steel cut clean through the bone, and the newly severed limb hit the ground with a thud. _ Where is its Crest Stone? _ She didn’t have much time before it would heal again—

Suddenly, the dragon faltered and lowered its face. Its eyes seemed to be pleading with Catherine’s. Confused, the knight stepped closer, as if she was being beckoned by some invisible tie. Instinctively, Catherine touched the spot that was supposed to house the stone, not minding the sparks that ran across its armor. The tingling sensation in her head set her nerves spiraling as a horrible thought began to sprout. “No, you’re not…”

“Look out!” Rebecca cried. She fired a round of Thunder at the two mages preparing to attack again.

The third mage from further away tried his luck with a shot of Bolting. With no time to dodge, Catherine braced herself for the impact, only for the beast to intercept the attack. Its shining scales absorbed the electricity and redirected the charge back to the sender. The glow of the scales faded, and then the beast froze in terror as it processed the fallen caster twitching uncontrollably. The last mage had run out of hiding to yell, “There’s your chance, woman!” 

Catherine stiffened as her sword felt like dead weight. She was so close to cutting its neck off, yet she couldn’t find it within her to raise her arm. The creature’s pupils dilated again and then turned tail, scampering off in the direction of the manor, as if it was attracted to something strong. Catherine shouted, “No, come back!” and impulsively followed as the rain settled in.

***

At last the Demonic Beast had slowed its pace to a weak limp as Catherine caught up. They arrived right in the courtyard of the manor, the ground becoming slick as the stormy weather drowned out the noise in Catherine’s ears. Then the feeling subsided as the monster appeared to wake from its trance and turned to the knight. Catherine stumbled as blood loss and exhaustion began to catch up to her.

Moments later, Rebecca was sprinting through the front gate, nearly out of breath as she hurriedly cast Physic on her sister’s wounds. The creature seemed to realize what the girl was up to and hissed until a sudden blast of fire exploded against the young monk’s face. She fell over in pain, and hot on her trail was one of the mages from the forest, preparing to strike again with fire magic.

The adrenaline overtook Catherine as she cried, “No!” and rushed to her sibling’s side. At the same time, the monster pounced. The knight covered her sister’s body with her own and prepared herself for the attack, only for the beast to leap over them and crash into the Imperial mage. The man struggled under the animal’s weight as he screamed profanities. 

Seeing the chance, Catherine carried her sister closer to the manor’s entrance. She started to treat Rebecca’s burn when the man shrieked, “You damn Charons!” But it didn’t seem to be directed at them; it was at the monster. The words fell deaf on the beast’s ears as its tail smashed into the man’s cheek.

“Charon?” Rebecca wriggled in her sister’s grasp, but Catherine held her down. “Catherine, I’m fine—” She froze as she saw the shadows envelop her sister’s face. The knight finished applying the medicine and stood up.

The stark white dragon had snatched up the weakened man in its jaws and bit down. It suddenly shook its head as if it was disgusted with its prey and tossed the man away. The mage landed face-first near the sisters as Catherine stepped over to him, calm and collected. Feebly, he tried to crawl to safety when she stomped on his back.

“That monster. Who is it?”

“L-like I’d tell an outsider!” The man felt a sword jab into his back as he squirmed around.

“Spill it. Now.” Again the hooded man screeched something profane. Blood rushed to Catherine’s head, and the heat consumed her, threatening to burn from the inside out. Her heart throbbed as her vision filled up with red. “Tell me!” 

“That creature was our test!” He gasped as she twisted the blade around. “We used that Charon soldier as the host!” he screamed. “It went on a rampage and killed the rest of our control group, and now the only way to undo the transformation is to kill it completely—” Another shriek left his mouth as Catherine drove the sword all the way down, piercing his heart. Rebecca screamed something that was lost to the knight as the thunder roared.

The creature had noticed them again. With a loud crack, lightning struck its armor and once more was the beast electrified. It shot a deadly charge at the priestess, only for the older woman to deflect the attack with a single swing of the sword. The bolt erupted against the wall of the manor and illuminated the entire courtyard in a flash. Then the darkness settled in once again.

The next few moments were nothing but a blur. Claws met steel once again, but without one of its front limbs, the poor beast had no chance to land a hit on the trained hunter as it lost the other leg. The creature lashed out with its fangs in hopes of defending itself, but the swordmaster simply slashed its eyes out in two quick, concise strikes. It then crashed on its side, writhing in agony. 

Catherine approached, saying nothing. Her heart hammered in her ears as she felt herself suffocating in the sea of fangs and blood once again. The noise drowning her head was unbearable now; she needed to silence it. Her blade drew a red line at the creature’s neck, but something in her mind directed to make a cut in its chest. Blood sprayed out as Catherine’s sword dug out the heart of the monster. Gruesomely tethered to it was a Crest Stone with the Charon symbol. With one hefty strike, the stone was shattered.

Pulling the blade away, Catherine kneeled down as the flesh and scales evaporated from the Demonic Beast, and soon she was cradling Jonah. His eyes were still bloody from the damage he had sustained, and his chest cavity was split open. He looked sickly as he muttered, “Cassandra,” and tried to catch any glimpse of his sister through his ruined vision. Catherine closed his eyes as the front door of the manor opened.

***

Shamir hesitated. In front of her was Catherine, who stood in silence as the rain washed away the blood pooling at her feet. Nearby, Rebecca let out a whimper, and Shamir ran over and helped the girl to her feet. Nathaniel, who carried Alissa, emerged from the house and rushed over to the sniper.

Rebecca stammered as she saw her younger siblings, “That monster was… our—”

Shamir shook her head. “You don’t have to say it,” she whispered as she gently examined the burn on the young woman’s face. “Alright, are you fit to run? We’ll need to get back before—”

“Over there!” Footsteps sounded as an Imperial captain reached the manor. He was accompanied by two masked mages. “That’s the woman who interfered!” one shouted while pointing at Catherine.

“And what of the subject?” asked the leader. He was the same man that had stopped Shamir down the road, only now he was dressed in long, purple and black robes. Spotting the deceased Charon and his own dead lackey, he rubbed his temples in frustration until he noticed the sniper. “Nevrand? We had a deal here.”

“I never intended to help.” She stepped forward. “When Count Vestra hears of this, there’s no way he’ll even try to salvage your group again.”

“I had a feeling that you would turn out like this, Dagdan.” His smile turned into a cruel sneer. “It’s too late for you anyway. We’ve already fixed our setback; soon this place will be nothing more than a stain on the map.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said a furious voice. The galloping of horses could be heard coming closer to the manor. A band of men had shown up, most of them armed with bows. The leading mount’s passenger slid off the saddle and stood tall as he took off his helmet, revealing his scarred and hardened face. He was dressed in knight’s armor, decorated with the Crest of Charon.

“Ah, so you finally decide to show yourself, Charon?”

“I will do what I should have done in the first place.” Lord Charon gave a glare in the direction of his children and refocused on the mage. Even from a distance, the veteran’s aura was intimidating. He held his hand up as his archers circled the Imperials. “Fire!” he directed.

The attack made a hit on the leader, and his two henchmen scattered as the arrows and rain pounded them. The Imperial captain staggered over and hissed at the old lord, “You sniveling coward! It wouldn’t have come to this if you just cooperated!”

“Cooperated?” Nathaniel was confused. “What business would Father have with you?” He looked to his father for any affirmation, but the old man kept his gaze steady and approached the Imperial.

“Enough of this nonsense,” he asserted. “You won’t hold us to your sick whims any longer.”

The dark bishop chuckled. “And let you cover up your crimes? I don’t think so.”

Then came roaring in was the second Demonic Beast. It looked similar to the monster that Jonah was twisted into, only that its eyes seemed to be completely blank. The captain howled with joy as he held a jewel engraved with a Crest in his hand. “Kill those knights.” The Relic glowed with a red mist as the beast shook with fright and then lunged at the bow knights.

Horses whinnied as the new monster shred their riders apart. The chaos rose as jolts of electricity seared man and animal alike, and maddened laughter joined in with the cries of terror as the predator hunkered over a paralyzed man and ate him in one clean bite.

Shamir nocked an arrow. “Get inside!” she ordered the siblings. The brother and sister nodded and ducked into the manor. 

Lord Charon drew a small dagger and rushed at the captain. He attempted to slice the hand that held the strange jewel, only for the slippery mage to trip him over. The blade skidded across the paved courtyard, but that did not stop the old man from resorting to his bare fist. As they grappled, the mage hissed, “Destroy Lord Charon,” as the gem glowed again, and the old man gave the Imperial a punch right on the jaw, causing him to drop the Relic.

As the stone rolled away and went dim, the monster stopped for a second to process its new directive, and then charged for the two men, only for Catherine to leap in its path just before it could get close. Her sword clanged against its claws as she hoped to stall it out.

Lord Charon ordered, “Cassandra, you must kill it!” He struggled with the man underneath him. Neither were going down without a fight.

“I can’t! This is Reim!” she protested. Her father did not even react to that bit of news. She blocked another slash from its claws. “Come to your senses! Please!”

One Imperial lackey attempted to seize the now lonely jewel, only to get shot down by Shamir, when the captain’s awful laugh rang out. 

  
  


Catherine glanced back, annoyed. “What’s so funny?” There was an edge to her voice.

“Why don’t you tell them, Lord Charon?” he snickered. Lord Charon’s grip tightened on his enemy’s robes as he said nothing.

“What are you talking about?” the archer asked. She took aim at the mage, cautious of any tricks up his sleeve.

“Don’t you want to know what his sins are?”

Catherine interjected, “That’s not important!” She strained under the weight of the monster attempting to crush her sword.

“But it has everything to do with this situation!” He gave a smile, revealing two teeth were knocked out of his mouth. “You see, he offered us the girl in the first place.”

Shamir stared at him, dumbstruck. “What?”

“We promised that our research into Crests would be able to save his bloodline and territory by granting his inheritor a Major Crest. The girl’s blood was needed to create artificial ones. That coward backed out of our deal and tried to amass a force to destroy us, only for his foolish sons to run into our trap. You’ve all… lost...” He went slack as he finished his provocation, having finally bled out from his wounds.

“That’s nonsense!” Catherine was enraged. That moment of weakness caused the sword to slip ever so slightly from her grip, allowing the monster to deal a heavy hit. The knight was knocked to the ground, and looked up as the beast raised its arm, the tips of its claws glowing and sparkling with a deadly current.

Just as it dealt the final slash, Lord Charon had jumped in the way. “Reim!”

The beast’s pupils returned to normal as it heard its name, but it was too late. The attack did devastating damage as Lord Charon’s abdomen was mauled open and fried. He fell over, and Catherine dragged him into her arms.

Lord Charon’s face was wracked with guilt and intense pain as he gave one last glance at his daughter and the dragon. “I chose to save our name over you. I’m sorry.” His tears mixed with the harsh rain pouring down his face, and then his eyes went dull.

“Catherine!” Shamir raced over to reach the swordmaster, but then the injured mage snuck behind her and snatched the Relic. 

“Kill that archer! Use your powers!” he commanded with his final breath. The monster’s eyes went blank as it roared, lightning suddenly striking the ground at random. Shamir was hit and paralyzed, and then dragon lunged at her as she tried to recover.

Too fast for anyone to process, even the sniper, Catherine had retaliated with the full force of the tempest. With its back to her now exposed, Catherine chopped its tail off, completely melting through the armor and getting the monster to turn around. Then she slashed at its maw, and as it reared back, teeth and blood spilling out, the knight plunged her sword deep into its chest, knowing where its weak spot was. A cracking sound could be heard as the dragon let out a burst of electricity from its chest, attempting to catch Catherine off-guard. The jolt coursing through the sword changed direction and went back into the Crest Stone, electrocuting the beast’s insides. 

The creature went limp and dropped to the ground, wisps of darkness rising from its form as it transformed into a human with curly blond hair and a bloodied mouth. It was Reim, as she had predicted. She withdrew her weapon from his chest, droplets of water hissing as the metal burned bright in the storm, and noticed the last Imperial, who finally comprehended the events that had just unfolded.

“I-Impossible! How can a human redirect lightning from a Demonic Beast?” The surviving soldier was terrified by the knight who had destroyed two monsters with only a simple sword. “Who IS this woman?” The knight gave chase as he tried to flee, only to trip over the wet stones.

She raised her arm. “Who am I?” Her face was completely stoic.

“I’m Thunder Catherine.” 

Then the lightning came crashing down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's been a LONG while. There's a lot I want to do with this fic but school's coming up again so updates may be very erratic.


End file.
